Type of fixed air conditioners that separate the refrigerating cycle into a number of units.
The outdoor unit houses the compressor, the condenser coil and the expansion valve, and is designed to transfer heat outside through a centrifugal fan.
Each of the indoor units houses the evaporator coil and thanks to a tangential fan it blows cool air into the room.
Thanks to a special valve, the refrigerating cycle can be inverted to switch on the heat pump mode. The outdoor motor serves as an evaporator to remove cold; the indoor units perform condensation, and blow hot air into the room.
Multi-split air conditioners usually come in 4 versions:
• Dual: an outdoor motor is connected to 2 indoor units so 2 rooms can be air conditioned
• Trial: an outdoor motor is connected to 3 indoor units so 3 rooms can be air conditioned
• Quadri: an outdoor motor is connected to 4 indoor units so 4 rooms can be air conditioned
Different kinds of indoor units are available to suit the type of installation:
• Wall-split: these are the classic wall-mounted units
• Cassette: these are ceiling units for recessed installation, very popular in commercial areas, produced as standard modules that can be fitted inside “ceiling squares”
• Flush-mounted: these are indoor units installed in false ceilings with the advantage of blending in perfectly with the architecture of the building
• Console: these units can be installed on the wall like normal radiators; although larger than split units they can easily be fitted under windows.
The advantages of multi-split air conditioners are:
• Flexible installation
• Reduced noise level in room
• Number of outdoor units reduced to 1, but air conditioning provided in several rooms
Disadvantages:
• Outdoor motor visible on outside of buildings
• Complex installation
